This weekly roundup thread is intended for all culture war posts. 'Culture war' is vaguely defined, but it basically means controversial issues that fall along set tribal lines. Arguments over culture war issues generate a lot of heat and little light, and few deeply entrenched people ever change their minds. This thread is for voicing opinions and analyzing the state of the discussion while trying to optimize for light over heat.
Optimistically, we think that engaging with people you disagree with is worth your time, and so is being nice! Pessimistically, there are many dynamics that can lead discussions on Culture War topics to become unproductive. There's a human tendency to divide along tribal lines, praising your ingroup and vilifying your outgroup - and if you think you find it easy to criticize your ingroup, then it may be that your outgroup is not who you think it is. Extremists with opposing positions can feed off each other, highlighting each other's worst points to justify their own angry rhetoric, which becomes in turn a new example of bad behavior for the other side to highlight.
We would like to avoid these negative dynamics. Accordingly, we ask that you do not use this thread for waging the Culture War. Examples of waging the Culture War:
-
Shaming.
-
Attempting to 'build consensus' or enforce ideological conformity.
-
Making sweeping generalizations to vilify a group you dislike.
-
Recruiting for a cause.
-
Posting links that could be summarized as 'Boo outgroup!' Basically, if your content is 'Can you believe what Those People did this week?' then you should either refrain from posting, or do some very patient work to contextualize and/or steel-man the relevant viewpoint.
In general, you should argue to understand, not to win. This thread is not territory to be claimed by one group or another; indeed, the aim is to have many different viewpoints represented here. Thus, we also ask that you follow some guidelines:
-
Speak plainly. Avoid sarcasm and mockery. When disagreeing with someone, state your objections explicitly.
-
Be as precise and charitable as you can. Don't paraphrase unflatteringly.
-
Don't imply that someone said something they did not say, even if you think it follows from what they said.
-
Write like everyone is reading and you want them to be included in the discussion.
On an ad hoc basis, the mods will try to compile a list of the best posts/comments from the previous week, posted in Quality Contribution threads and archived at /r/TheThread. You may nominate a comment for this list by clicking on 'report' at the bottom of the post and typing 'Actually a quality contribution' as the report reason.
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Notes -
Shame we couldn't have gotten a judgement like this against Oberlin for their harassment lawsuit loss. Could have wiped out their entire endowment.
No it’s not a shame. One bad act shouldn’t destroy a 100 year old institution. Unless the act is super bad like genocide etc. The business received enough money to cover their loss.
Under this doctrine America would just become a lawsuit civilization.
But it's OK if it destroys a 50 year old man instead, right?
This feels low effort and a bit of a Democrats response.
Reminds me of their COVID response where to save one 85 year olds life we locked 400 people up and kept 100 kids out of school.
Proportionality matters.
"Low effort" is platitudes about it being wrong to destroy a 100 year old institution for a bad act in a thread about the destruction of a 50 (well, 48) year old man for a similar bad act.
The judgement against Alex Jones was over $950 million dollars. That's "proportional"? To what?
Two wrong don’t make a right. I have at no point said Alex Jones deserves to pay $950 million. Honestly I think it’s an 8th Ammendment violation.
I have the same view on judgements against my enemies as I do against my allies.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
Why would it destroy the institution, rather than lead the institution to be sold to someone else?
Because of loss of the endowment, which was the explicit goal of the person that sliders was responding to.
The size of the Oberlin penalty looks about right to me. Slightly different facts would mean no penalty at all for Oberlin, and the jury wanted to make sure that the lesson got learned this time.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
I point you to OP. It already is.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link